100 Women Giving Back Northwoods Up-and-Coming Giver Scholarship

Whether kayaking Lake Michigan in the waking moments of spring or trekking through a fresh snowfall in the deep days of winter, my fondest memories have been created while wandering the beautiful Wisconsin wilderness. Growing up in Northeastern Wisconsin, I spent most of my childhood outdoors planting milkweed for the butterflies, alpine skiing after learning before even enrolled in preschool, and reading books in a hammock under the stars. My innate curiosity and constant observation of the world around me have been the driving forces behind my affection for math. The immense difference in resources between struggling students from a Title I school compared to children placed in privatized supplemental math instruction has been apparent, so after volunteer tutoring six English Language Learning seniors during my freshman year to ensure they met math graduation requirements, I created Bay Port Tutoring Connections (BPTC) as a resource to more effectively connect all students with free peer tutoring. While initially launched in response to widespread academic deficiencies resulting from the Covid-19 Pandemic, the project continued to have great impacts even following the return to in-person school. In the fall of 2021, I collaborated with student services to gain administrative support and permanent approval for Bay Port Tutoring Connections as Bay Port High School's first and only entirely student-operated organization. Made for students, by students - this semester alone, we have already connected over 50 students, and I personally work one-on-one with students as the lead calculus tutor during my free periods and lunches every day. When I am not teaching, I manage the logistics of tutor applications, schedule tutor pairings, and meet with district administration as incumbent president and advisor. My goal is to provide a supportive, inclusive environment for individuals and small groups seeking extra support as I work to ensure every student feels confident in their learning. I strive to be an agent for community change through concentrated efforts of volunteerism and take responsibility to broaden my perspectives. Through my role as president of Youth Service Learning leading more than 200 student volunteers, I collaborate with non-profit organizations to focus on engaging youth in community outreach and provide opportunities for young people to become more involved in campaigning for their values. I believe that upward mobility comes with educational empowerment and providing resources necessary to support the learning process, so I personally involve most of my service efforts in providing STEM support and educational opportunities. Realizing the need for more organized donation efforts, I also sponsored the 2021 Child Life Donation Drive in Partnership with Pediatric Care Specialists, established The Giving Tree Annual Holiday Toy and Food Drive in which we collected over 2500+ lbs of non-perishable donated items in the first year, and hosted the Howard-Suamico Community Menstrual and Hygiene Drive benefiting the Golden House domestic violence shelter during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I implemented Youth Service Learning's adoption of a Mountain-Bay State Recreational Trail segment to ensure cleanliness and environmental safety for humans and wildlife, as I have been an avid four-year cross-country runner that frequents the area. In my free time, I also love playing my flute for area nursing home residents and holiday caroling to spread my passion for the arts. Communities are stronger when members are not only considerate but also take the time to personally empathize with one another. We all have different backgrounds and expertise; it is imperative that we facilitate discussion and course of action to create equity within community development - not only establishing a more healthy place to live and work, but also ensuring a more well-rounded government, economy, and environment.